Flatwork ironer



L. P. BOAL FLATWORK IRONER Oct. 9, 1934 Original Filed June l, 1931 A* whereby the flat-work linens I and the like Patented 9ct. 9, 1934 'rss FLATWORK IRONER Leonard P. Boal, St. Louis, Mo., assigner of oner half to Arthur C. Riddick, St. Louis, Mo.

Application `inne 1, 1931, Serial No. 541,343 Renewed January 9, 1933 8 Claims.

This invention relates to improvements in a flat-work ironer for ironing table, bed and kitchen linen, and has for its primary object to provide the ironing rolls of theironer with improved feeding or carrying means for eliminating the heretofore use or" feeding tapes on the ironing rolls. v

Another object of the invention is in providing the ironing rolls with improved means which is cooperable with. the rolls and the stearn chests,

ironed thereby will be continually under compression while passing through the ironer'.

A further object of the invention is in providing the plurality of ironing rolls of a iiat- `work ironer with a single encompassing feed apron for feeding the Work to be ironed between the rolls and the steam chests. s

A stillrfurther object of the invention is in providing the plurality of ironing rolls of a iiat- Awork ironer with an apron for encompassing the rolls and the padding thereon thereby eliminating the cover cloth heretofore used for each roll padding.

Other and further objects will appear in the 4speciication and be specifically pointedV out in' drawing 1 designates a frame structure on each side of the nat-Work ironer for the support of the shaft ends 2 of a plurality of ironing rolls 3 and mounted on the periphery of each ironing roll is a wound padding layer 4.

lSecured on veach shaft end 2 oi respective iron` ing rolls 3 is a sprocket 5', the teeth 6 .of each sprocket adapted to engage in eyelets 'l of a feeding apron 8, said eyelets being disposed in a row on each side or" the apron 8. The apron 8 is made endless and is disposed over the ironing rolls 3 in a manner so as to encompass the plurality of rolls.

' ironing rolls 3 is a guide roller 9 having a groove 10 for engaging over the teeth 6 of each sprocket,

each guide roller 9 bearing against the upper surface of the apron 8 as shown in both figures of the drawing and adapted to prevent buckling Referring by numerals tothe accompanying of the apron 8 so that the eyelets '7 of the apron cannot become disengaged from the teeth 6 of respective sprockets. Each guide roller 9 is loosely mounted on a shaft 11, each shaft being extended from an upright 12 of respective frame structure-s l.

Disposed beneath each roll 3 is a steam chest 13, said chests abutting one another and arranged in a horizontal row, each steam chest having an ironing surface lei concaved in coniormity with the periphery of each roll, the ends of each concaved ironing surface 14 being convened as shown in Fig. 1, the clearance beneath the periphery of the padding of each roll and the respective concaved ironing'surface 14 of each steam chest being sucient to permit the passing of the travelling apron 8 and the articles to be ironed.

Extended from each frame structure 1 between each pair of ironing rolls 3 and on a plane beneath the shaft ends 2 of said rolls is a horizontally disposed supporting shaft 15 and loosely mounted on each shaft is a grooved guide roller 16, said rollers being of a diameter so as to conform to the contour of the apron portions 17 between each pair of rolls 3 which is provided` by the travel of the apron over the convexed portions 18 at the ends of the steam chests 13.

The guide rollers 16 are for the purpose of firmly holding the side portions of the apron 8 against the sprockets 5 so that there will be no disengagement or the teeth 6 of the sprockets from the eyelets 7.

The shaft ends 2 oi the rolls 3 on one side are each provided with a fixed spur gear 19 and in mesh with each pair of gears 19 is a. pinion 2U, each pinion 2G being loosely mounted on the ends of respective shafts 15 and serving as intermediate gears for the spur gears 19 ior transmitting motion from one spur gear to the other in the gear train when motion is imparted to the gear train.

For the purpose of illustration, the articles or work being ironed by this improved nat-work ironer is shown as a cross-hatched continuous 100 ribbon passing through the machine and designated as 21, revolving motion being imparted to the ironer by means not shown which may be a veyor 24 which is also put into operation for con- 1m Disposed above each sprocket 5 of respective driving gem" in mesh with one of the end dis 105 vcying the articles after being ironed to the receiving table 25.

rhe articles to be ironed upon being placed on the feeding table 25 are fed onto the ironing surface of the rst in order steam chest 13 between the ironing surface and the feeding and conveying apron 8 of the first in order ironing roll 3. As the apron 8 is caused to travel by the sprockets 5 of the ironing rolls 3, the articles as they are fed by the apron 8 will be carried from the rst ironing roll to each succeeding ironing roll and the articles being ironed while being pressed on the upper disposed side by the pressure of the padding of each roll, will be smoothed on the lower side on the ironing surface 14 of each steam chest 13.

After the articles have been traveled between the peripheries of the plurality of ironing rolls and the plurality or" ironing surfaces of the steam chests, they will be received by the conveyor 23 and will be returned in their travel beneath the steam chests and thereagainst by reason of the conveyor 23 being disposed close to the bottoms of the steam chests, this return travel of the ironed articles will cause them to be thoroughly dried out by reason of their contacting with the undersides or bottoms of the chests. After the articles have been conveyed beneath the steam chests, they will be received between the lower belt lap of the conveyor 23 and the upper belt lap of the conveyor 24 where they will be carried to the table 25 for disposal.

Owing to the fact that the endless feeding apron 8 is provided with a row oi eyelets '7 adjacent each side edge, the engagement of the teeth 6 of respective sprockets 5 in the eyelets, will cause the apron to be positively moved with the rolls 3 and at the same peripheral speed, the guide rollers 9 and 16 bearing against the apron at the points of contact of the sprocket teeth with the apron, securely holding the apron in mesh with the sprocket teeth. The securing of the apron in contact with the rolls 3 as just described will therefore eliminate any possible slippage between the apron and the padding 4 of the rolls, thus preventing rufling of the padding as would likely happen if slippage of the apron did occur.

An endless apron of this improved character will provide a smoothed finish on the goods being ironed and therefore eliminates the impressions on the goods or articles being ironed caused heretofore by the use of stn'ngs or feed tape around the rolls.

The provision of an endless apron encompassing the ironing rolls in the manner shown permits the wrapped padding 4 on the rolls to be used without the heretofore used protecting cover cloth as the apron when used in the manner shown provides sufficient protecting covering to the wrapped padding and furthermore longer wearing life is given to the apron than the padding cover cloths for the reason that approxjimately one-half of the apron is always away from the steam chests and moisture content therefrom during its return travel above the rolls, the approximate one-half or returning portion of the apron being permitted to dry out by reason of its being away from the steam chests.

account of there being no confining cover cloth and conned pressure on the padding is also eliminated by reason of the padding not being bound by the cover cloths.

While one illustrative embodiment of the invention has been described in detail, it is not my intention to limit its scope to that particular embodiment or otherwise than by the terms of the appended claims.

What I claim is:

1. A flat-work ironer comprising a series of spaced ironing rolls, an endless feeding apron having spaced eyelets mounted over said rolls, and a sprocket mounted on each roll in mesh with the eyelets of said apron.

2. A flat-work ironer comprising a series of spaced ironing rolls, an endless feeding apron having spaced eyelets mounted over said rolls, a sprocket mounted on each roll in mesh with the eyelets of said apron, and guide rollers cooperable with said apron for holding the eyelets of said apron in engagement with the teeth of said sprockets.

3. A flat-work ironer comprising a series of spaced ironing rolls, an endless feeding apron having spaced eyelets mounted over said rolls, a sprocket mounted on each roll in mesh with the eyelets of said apron, and grooved guide rollers cooperable with said apron and the teeth of said sprockets for guiding the teeth of said sprockets in the eyelets of said apron.

4. A fiat-work ironer comprising a series of spaced ironing rolls each having endwise disposed sprocket teeth, an endless apron mounted over said rolls, a steam chest beneath said rolls having a tortuous surface with which said rolls are cooperable, and a guide roller disposed between each pair of rolls cooperable with said apron for holding the apron in meshing engagement with the teeth of said rolls.

5. A flat-work yironer comprising a series of spaced ironing rolls, an endless apron having spaced eyelets mounted over said rolls, a sprocket mounted on the end of each roll and grooved guide rollers bearing against said apron in straddling relation with the teeth of said sprockets for holding the eyelets of said apron in engagement with the sprocket teeth.

6. A flat-work ironer comprising a series of ironing rolls, a padding layer wrapped on the peripheries of said rolls, a sprocket mounted on each end of each roll, an endless apron having spaced apertures mounted over said rolls serving as a protecting cover for the padding of the rolls, and means for holding the apron and apertures thereof in mesh with said sprockets.

'1. A flat-work ironer comprising a series of spaced ironing rolls, an endless apron having spaced eyelets mounted over said rolls, a sprocket mounted on each roll, and spaced means bearing against said apron for holding the eyelets of said apron in engagement with said sprockets.

8. A flat-work ironer comprising a series of ironing rolls, an endless apron mounted over said rolls having sprocket teeth engaging means thereon, toothed means cooperable with the sprocket teeth engaging means of said apron, and grooved rollers bearing against said apron in straddling relation with said toothed means for holding the sprocket teeth engaging means of the apron in engagement with said toothed means.

LEONARD P. BOAL. 

